Spain’s health ministry said the evacuation of passengers from a Dutch cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of Hantavirus would be completed on Monday.
Passengers will be flown on special flights from Tenerife to Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, and other countries, where they will be tested and quarantined for 42 days.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed six cases of the virus, three of which have been fatal (Netherlands and Germany). The infections also include US and French citizens.
The MV Hondius, which was carrying 147 people, set sail from Argentina in March and visited Antarctica and Cape Verde. The outbreak was first reported in early May when a British tourist who had disembarked was hospitalized in Johannesburg.
Rodents usually spread Hantavirus, but in rare cases, human-to-human transmission can occur (the “Andean” strain).
Despite the seriousness of the situation, medical experts are urging people not to panic, noting that this virus is much less contagious than COVID-19 and poses no threat to the general public. The ship’s crew will travel to the Netherlands, where the ship will undergo a thorough disinfection.
